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Knights of the Forge
The Knights of the Forge are a Salamanders descendant chapter from the planet Ashaytus, located in the galactic south of the Ultima Segmentum, to the east of the Nephilim Sector. The chapter is well-trained in siege warfare, as they are tasked with repelling xenos from nearby systems, a valiant task worthy of their knightly heritage. While their traditions may differ from the norm of some chapters, they hold some values, such as citizens' lives, higher than most, probably from their Salamander progenitors and questing forefathers. These beliefs, however, can sometimes put them at odds with planetary governors, members of the Inquisition and even other chapters. None the less, the knights fight on, for they know that duties will be remembered by the Emperor, and those they protect. History The Knights' history cannot be explained in its entirety without making reference to their homeward, Ashaytus', past. Before the light of the Great Crusade, Ashaytus was a lush, green and poisonous planet. The death world was home to many - tribes, lineages, kingdoms - but all were divided by two races; the human settlers and the alien inhabitants, the Estara. Stories of the beginning of the human settling depicted them as the first to arrive at Ashaytus, however, many years later, the Estara appeared, warring with the colonists. Much of the humans' technology had been destroyed by the aliens, and slowly the civilisation became more simple and medieval. Five kingdoms emerged, now with corresponding cities, each with various tribes with certain skills: The most poweful was the Pyre, a tribe specialising in the making of weapons and the trade of those weapons to the other conflicting tribes, giving them vast wealth and the power over the other tribes. The second most powerful were the Anguards, a lineage of warriors whose city is one of the better recruitment areas. K’lanin, a tribe of many of the planet’s most intelligent minds, spearheading architecture, biological research and the eventual peace that was formed. They also have many psykers, referred to as Sken’ñan, who would use their abilities to help mining and forsee when the planet would travel closest to its stars, causing an eruption in heat and forcing the tribes to retreat underground. The Vilan, the largest tribe, filled with miners and traders. They often supplied and worked with Pyre, both maintaining a healthy coexistence throughout the years of conflict. Finally, there were the ambitious Katark who lived mostly underground, using their cave systems to wage war against the other tribes and unleashing brutal assault when the others retreated underground. Each kingdom had knights and settlements which fought for land over the millennia. Over time, their culture developed, as did their weapons. Throughout this period, Estarans made infrequent assaults on outlying villages, securing and maintaining their territory. At one point, estimated to be around 500.M30, the Estara rallied a larger legion to wage war on the five kingdoms. They had more advanced technology, including titans, but due to their more peaceful ways, their weapons were somewhat lacklustre, even though they were firearms. They slowly advanced into human territory until the five kingdoms, led by the K’lanin, formed a peace treaty to ward off the invaders. The allied forces pushed the aliens back, though not without substantial casualties. Just before the Great Crusade arrived, the Estara attacked one last time. Imperial reinforcements arrived after and the Salamanders Legion eradicated most of the alien race. One of the Legion’s ships were shot down by an Estaran titan and they crashed into the green planet, breaking its crust and setting of a massive volcanic eruption, turning the world into a wasteland, forever crippling the Estara and forcing them to retreat. Chapter History The Knights of the Forge are a young chapter, who while somewhat inexperienced, have faced the despair and casualties that many other chapters have in their lifetime. They have not taken part in many campaigns or crusades, though sometimes feel inclined to do so in vengeance or to cripple or push back an enemy force. Examples of these include The Cleansing of Zakar III, a chaos-infested world, or the Taking of Xephan, where a small group of marines were sent to an agri-world to dispatch of a Dark Eldar webway gate. The Chapter was founded in the 23rd founding, roughly eighty years before a large ork invasion. The Chapter were unnamed and didn’t have a specific homeworld or insignia. Only after a large, hard-fought battle, were the chapter named, given a symbol and granted their homeworld, Ashaytus. They were the Knights of the Forge, called so because of their graceful use of blades and their descendance from the Salamanders. They were given Ashaytus, a death world with veins of magma, where they built their Fortress-Monastery, The Bridge, around the bridge that their Chapter Master Pezarus Hugon sacrificed himself, killing the ork leader and hundreds of other orks. Their symbol, a flaming white sword, was given after Hugon’s Honour Guard claimed that his sword was lit with the rage in his soul, allowing him to smite down hundreds of orks before falling, however, this is doubted by many imperial officials and inquisitors, even with the chapter’s persistency. Notable Battles and Campaigns * 382.M37 Waaagh! Axetoof Shortly after the chapter’s creation, Ashaytus was attacked by Waaagh! Axetoof. The chapter held a strong defence, though Chapter Master Pezarus Hugon died while defending a bridge, killing Axetoof and crippling the invasion. * '''510.M38 Cleansing of Zakar III '''After a Chaos Warband, The Plagued Heart, attacked a nearby system, the Knights Of The Forge launched a counter-offensive on the planet they used as their base, Zakar III. The nurglites stood strong against the Knights’ artillery, so a breaching force was assembled. The force blew a hole in the warband’s fortress and the combined group of veterans, assault squads and centurions entered and slaughtered many of the cultists. The rest of the Imperial forces pushed in, leading to a final clash between a Daemon Prince and 4th Company Captain Galahad, resulting in the daemon‘s defeat and Galahad’s internment into a Dreadnought. * '''266.M41 Taking of Xephan '''In early 266.M41, a band of Drukhari pirates started to terrorise the Cordrid syste. The Knights Of The Forge sent a strike team to destroy the webway gates that the Eldar were using. The strike team was made up of ten scouts and ten Sternguard veterans. During their first encounter with the pirates, six scouts and one veteran fell, leaving the remaining members to commemorate their comrades by painting their armour in the camouflage that the scouts wore. After their success, it was decreed that one squad of Sternguard veterans would join the 10th Company and wear camouflage in memory of the marines that died during their quest. Culture The Knights’ culture follows that of their ancient anscestors, with the Chapter’s rules being built around them. The Knightly Code The Knightly Code is a set of guidelines made by the first generation of Knights. It teaches marines the Chapter’s values and duties and honoured by the Knights as much as the Codex Astartes would be by Guilliman’s descendants. * Honour: Knights must always accept a challenge from an enemy, no matter how weak or strong. They shall not just kill any who surrenders or asks for mercy, heretic or xenos, and must instead perform a ritual execution. * Chivalry: Knights must always put themselves before citizens - they are the Imperium’s protectors and it is their duty to fight for those who cannot. * Respect: Knights must show respect to all, dead, alive, higher and lower class. No enemy nor ally’s weapon may be destroyed, but may be reforged if it is not tainted by the Warp or is xeno-made. * Service: Knights’ service ends only in death. Knights must accept service in the Deathwatch or internment in a Dreadnought as an honour, unless there is good reason, such as teaching the Chapter’s recruits, extreme, dishonouring pain in Dreadnought internment or undermining a Knight’s noble sacrifice and thus disturbing his passage and worthy death. Notable Knights The Knights record the deeds of their Chapter’s members, leading to extensive legends and tales of heroes. Dreadnoughts * High Lord Arturius, previously 10th Company Captain Atrius, is a Contemptor Dreadnought and leader of the Round Table. He wields a greatsword and multimelta. His size as a Dreadnought commands a strong presence on the battlefield, both as a leader and as a powerful enemy. * Lord Borse is a Venerable Dreadnought who serves under the 3rd Company. He has a Power Fist and also uses a variety of secondary weapons, from Lascannons to Assault Cannons. He acts as a beacon of morale, inspiring courage to Imperial forces, while charging into battle with surprising speed. * Lord Garwain, formerly Apothecary Gwain, is a Dreadnought. He is known to use two long-range weapons and shows fierce loyalty to the Emperor and his Chapter. Category:Space Marine Chapters Category:Space Marines Category:Salamanders Successors